Received past due tax notice for stocks but nothing shows online - scam?

I just got hit with a past due tax notice in the mail claiming I owe around $9,500 in taxes from stock transactions. This was for the 2023 tax year and the notice arrived in June 2024. The weird thing is, I definitely filed my taxes for that year and didn't make nearly that much from my stock trades. About three weeks ago I relocated for a new job, and my roommate texted saying another official-looking tax notice came in the mail. I've been religiously checking my online accounts for the past several weeks but haven't seen any tax notices posted. I even logged into the IRS website to try and make a payment if I actually owe something, but nothing shows up there either. According to their system, my taxes from all previous years are in good standing and I have a zero balance. I'm getting concerned this might be some kind of scam. Shouldn't the IRS have uploaded these notices to my online account if they were legitimate? Has anyone dealt with something similar? I don't want to ignore a real tax bill, but this seems fishy.

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18 comments

Nia Davis

•8M

These notices can definitely be concerning! Based on what you've described, there are a few possibilities here. Legitimate IRS notices should have specific identifying information. Look for your taxpayer ID number, a notice number (usually CP followed by numbers), and detailed explanation of the assessment. Real IRS notices also typically give you appeal rights and contact information. The IRS does have a delay between sending paper notices and them appearing in your online account, sometimes 2-3 weeks or longer. However, if it's been months since the first notice and nothing appears online, that's unusual. Stock transactions are commonly misreported when brokerages send 1099-B forms to the IRS but the taxpayer doesn't properly report the basis (what you paid for the stocks). This creates a mismatch where the IRS thinks you made more profit than you actually did. I'd recommend calling the IRS directly using the number on their official website (not the number on the notice) to verify if this is legitimate. Also, check your tax return to see if you properly reported all stock sales with correct cost basis information.

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Nia Davis

•8M

Typically, notices should appear in your online account within 2-4 weeks after being mailed, though system delays can extend this timeframe. The IRS has been experiencing significant backlogs that might explain longer delays. You can verify a notice's legitimacy without calling by checking specific elements - real IRS notices include your taxpayer ID, a notice or CP number, official IRS letterhead, and information about your appeal rights. You can also log into your IRS online account and check the "Tax Records" section, which should eventually show any legitimate notices. Be cautious of notices requesting payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or to non-IRS addresses, as these are clear signs of scams.

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QuantumQueen

•8M

I had the exact same problem last year with a notice claiming I owed $11k on stock trades. After hours of stress and confusion, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and uploaded my brokerage statements there. Their system analyzed all my trades and found the error - the IRS was counting all my sales as pure profit because they didn't have my cost basis info! Taxr.ai generated a perfect response letter with all my corrected calculations that I sent to the IRS. Saved me from paying thousands I didn't actually owe.

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QuantumQueen

•8M

Yes, it absolutely works even if you already filed with the stock information. The problem is often that the IRS system and what you reported don't match up exactly, despite your tax software doing things correctly. Taxr.ai can identify these mismatches by analyzing both your filed return and your brokerage statements to pinpoint where the discrepancy originated. The service doesn't need access to internal IRS calculations because the notice itself usually contains the information about what the IRS is using for their assessment. Taxr.ai analyzes the notice, your actual trading history from your brokerage, and your filed return to identify exactly where the mismatch occurred. It's not about internal access but rather reconciling the different documents that are already available to you.

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Aisha Rahman

•8M

Update: I was skeptical but decided to try taxr.ai after getting nowhere with the IRS phone system. It was actually super helpful. I uploaded my brokerage statements, tax return, and the IRS notice. The system flagged exactly where the problem was - turns out my brokerage reported gross proceeds to the IRS but didn't include my cost basis for some trades. The letter taxr.ai generated explained everything and included all the documentation the IRS needed. Got confirmation last week that the assessment was removed. Worth checking out if you're in the same situation.

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Yuki Sato

•8M

I went through this nightmare last year with a $12,000 tax bill for stocks. Called the IRS over 30 times and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Eventually found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed it was a legit notice but explained it was because my brokerage didn't report my cost basis properly. The IRS was calculating as if I made 100% profit on every stock sale! The agent helped me start the dispute process rather than having to figure it out myself. Saved me so much stress.

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Yuki Sato

•8M

It works by constantly redialing the IRS for you using an automated system. When you call the IRS directly, you often get the "we're experiencing high call volume" message and get disconnected. Claimyr's system keeps calling until it gets through the queue, then it calls you and connects you directly. They don't have special access - they're just persistent with the technology. I was just as skeptical as you are. I tried calling myself for weeks with no luck. The service literally just saved me the frustration of redialing for hours. Once you're connected, you're talking directly to the same IRS agents anyone else would talk to - the difference is you actually get through instead of hearing the busy signal or getting disconnected.

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Andre Dubois

•8M

I take back everything I said. After getting another notice threatening a lien on my property, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr. I was connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes after trying for WEEKS on my own. The agent confirmed my notice was legitimate but there was a major error. My brokerage had reported stock sales without basis information, making it look like I had massive gains. The agent walked me through exactly what documentation to send in to dispute it. Just got confirmation yesterday that my case was resolved and I don't owe the $8k they were claiming. I've never been so relieved. Sometimes you have to admit when you're wrong - this service actually delivered.

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CyberSamurai

•8M

In my experience, Fidelity is actually one of the better ones for correctly reporting cost basis to the IRS. Vanguard and Charles Schwab also tend to be reliable with their reporting. The issues I've seen most often come from newer trading platforms and especially crypto exchanges, which sometimes have incomplete reporting systems. TD Ameritrade (now part of Schwab) has been solid in my experience too. The key thing to look for is whether your year-end tax documents clearly show both proceeds and cost basis for each transaction. If you see "cost basis not reported to the IRS" footnotes on your 1099-B, that's a red flag that you might face the exact situation the original poster is dealing with.

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